What car should I buy?

Jessica is looking for a family-friendly used soft-roader.

What car should I buy?

Jessica is trying to pin down the best used light-duty 4WD for her family. With two children and dogs taking up all the space in her current car, a roomy cabin and big boot are essential.

She’d also like it to be comfortable during her regular long country drives but doesn’t need serious off-road ability, just enough to deal with rough, rocky roads and not get bogged when things turn muddy. She’d like good fuel economy as the car will primarily be used for her daily urban work commute.

The budget: About $15,000

The shortlist

At this budget, at least, compromise is going to be unavoidable. Larger models will bring the space Jessica is looking for but it will also dictate less than remarkable fuel economy and settling for older examples than smaller alternatives.

Compact and mid-sized 4WDs in this price range, contrastingly, will perform better on those two fronts but might not bring the step up in real estate she craves.

Ultimately, only Jessica knows what she must have and can live without. But these three very different contenders cover a big chunk of the size and talent spectrum in this segment, and are great places to start.

2001-07 Nissan X-Trail, from $6930*

With Subaru Foresters and Toyota RAV4s at this pricepoint both a little squeezy, and Honda CR-Vs happier in town than out, the X-Trail stands as the obvious compact 4WD for this contest.

It’s great value these days, with a practical cabin, big boot and solid reliability/servicing prospects. It’s also a happy camper off the tarmac, well equipped in topline Ti form and the 2.5-litre petrol four is a gutsy performer and not too thirsty.

Less endearing are the Nissan's cheap cabin plastics, soft handling and hard-surfaced boot that’s a veritable slip-and-slide for unrestrained luggage. There are also some recalls to be wary of.

There are third-gen Outbacks kicking around at this budget but they tend to have 200K-plus kilometres on the clock, so we’d sooner go for a tidy last-of-the-line second-generation model.

Don’t let its age throw you off. It’s usefully roomy, has a handy boot, good safety and will still feel pretty handy to drive, too, thanks to a flexible petrol four-cylinder engine (don’t bother with the peaky, thirstier six) and foolproof handling.

The Outback, however, doesn’t bring much of a step up in space over smaller 4WDs. You’ll want to be diligent in your search, too, as they need TLC to live up to their deserved reputation for being reliable and long-lived.

You’ll find good 2003 Cross Countrys for this money, a bargain for a car that’s the same age as comparatively priced used Outbacks but cost a lot more when new.

It’s very similar in concept to the Subie, too, only roomier and classier. It’s expectedly safe (though examples with curtain airbags and stability control will be a stretch at this budget) and quite reliable if serviced to the letter.

That will be a costlier exercise than with your typical Japanese car, though, so don’t settle for one with an undocumented history. It doesn’t handle or ride with much flair, either, and isn’t especially economical.

The Volvo is the one you’ll want and you also might just a get a pearler for this kind of money. Even then, though, it will require a bigger cost commitment than the others, both in fuel and service costs, and you won’t enjoy driving it as much as the Subaru.

The Nissan, in contrast, is far from enchanting and its serving of space, refinement and class is far from the best here. But for younger families it could be just right, and there are age and value advantages to consider before it can be discounted.

The Subaru? Well, it’s not the roomiest, safest, best value or cheapest to run but you get depth in all of these key areas, and it backs up its consistency by being the most capable, enjoyable of this lot to drive. Well-rounded wins.

* Values are estimates provided by Glass’s Guide for private sale based on an entry-level model averaging up to 20,000km per annum and in a well-maintained condition relevant to its age.